The Chosen One's True Love
by amieam
Summary: Rita Skeeter has a new scoop.  Is it fact or fiction? RHr, a little bit HG, and a very bad Rita!
1. Chapter 1

The chosen one's true Love

The Daily Prophet is pleased to announce that, according to our sources, the announcement of Harry Potter's engagement to Miss Hermione Granger is imminent. The couple started a tour of Australia shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts and has recently met up with Miss Granger's parents. Our sources say that Miss Granger's parents were clearly happy seeing their daughter so happy and in love.

Rita Skeeter claims to have been given the inside story of the couples long-time romance. "I have been following the course of this love story since I first reported its beginnings during the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Skeeter exclaims. "I was truly afraid that Victor Krum, fellow participant and Miss Granger's date to the Yule Ball, would put a halt to the romance, but I suppose nothing can stop the course of true love."

"But, what of the rumors of a romance with Miss Ginny Weasley?" I had to ask. Miss Skeeter giggles in a very girlish manner to this question. "Nothing but smoke and mirrors," she states, "Mr. Potter and his friends were concerned for Miss Granger's safety should the former _He who must not be named _discover Harry's amour!" Miss Skeeter plans on telling the full story in her latest book, "The Lives and Loves of Harry Potter, due out in time for the Christmas shopping season.

We at the Prophet tried, of course tried to contact Potter pal, Mr. Ronald Weasley, for his comments on his best mate's upcoming nuptials. Unfortunately we were met with a very rude "No Comment" at the Weasley family residence. We are sure that Mr. Weasley is protecting his friends' privacy until they are able to return to England and make a formal announcement. Young Mr. Weasley was very helpful during his crusade to destroy _He who must not be named, _and is currently working to assist his brother, George Weasley in rebuilding the very profitable Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, and of course to comfort his family in their very tragic loss of their son, Fred.

Mr. Potter and Miss Granger are scheduled to arrive by International Portkey on Friday, and _The Daily Prophet_ will be there to get our faithful readers the inside scoop on the joyous details.


	2. Chapter 2

**Going Home**

They were going home. In just a few short minutes their portkey would activate, sending them back to the ones they loved the most. Hermione could tell that Harry was feeling the same excitement as he paced back and forth in front of her muttering under his breath. She had to admit that she felt a little guilty choosing not fly home with her parents after spending so little time with them, but she missed Ron so much it had become a painful ache in her heart. After the kiss they had shared during the Battle of Hogwarts, they had been able to spend precious little time alone. During the day, she missed sharing all the things that she had seen and done, but the night time had cause a completely different kind of longing. Ron had always been the star of her late night dreams, but lately the dreams had become a nightly event, and they were getting more graphic the longer she was away from him. God, she really hoped that she had not been talking in her sleep because that could become very embarrassing. But now that she was heading home, her parents knowing exactly how much Ron affected her did not matter. No, the only thing that mattered was that soon she would have the real Ron Weasley in her arms.

The news from home had been painfully sparse in the three months that she and Harry had been searching for her parents. She had only received two letters from Ron during that entire time. Discovering her parents' location had been more difficult than she thought it would be, since they had gone on holiday. She had to confund their neighbors to get some information on where her Mum and Dad were vacationing. Then there had been that embarrassing moment after her parents' memories had been restored and the explanations had been made, when her father had exclaimed how happy he was that Harry and Hermione were finally a couple. Apparently, her parents had not forgotten a Christmas holiday filled with Hermione crying in her room over "that ginger haired boy." She had to quickly remedied that situation, explaining that she and Ron were very much in love, but that due to his current family situation, it was decided that it would be better if Harry accompanied her on this journey. Actually she had intended to go alone, but Ron and Harry were both very concerned about rogue Death Eaters looking for revenge. Both felt that if Hermione was traveling alone, she would make a tempting target. Of course, Hermione hadn't missed the look of displeasure on Ginny's face at the fact that Harry was leaving her again. She was glad that Harry had wanted to accompany her, but she had to admit that she didn't blame Ginny. To finally have the future in your grasp, only to have to put it on hold again seemed unacceptable. Hermione felt the very same way about being parted from Ron again, but she knew that as much as they would miss Ron and Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley needed their remaining children around them right now.

Hermione would never have believed that a sensible girl like herself would sleep with a young man's letters under her pillow, but that was exactly what she had done. Not that either one of the letters were full of romance and poetry no, they were filled with stories of his family and their friends, and the difficulties in rebuilding the British Quidditch league. She knew of his efforts to help George rebuild the shop and that just by being home he was a great comfort to his mother. Ron often said that he missed her and that he wished that he could be with her when she retrieved her parents. The best part of the letters, however, was the closing signature, "_**Love Always, Ron". **_Those words, in his familiar messy writing on paper that held just a bit of that familiar Ron scent, was the part that made her giggle and swoon like one of those silly girls she detested. He loved her, truly loved her, and that was the part that made her heart soar.

"Hermione, it's almost time," she could hear Harry say in an excited voice. The International Portkey had been created from a silly-looking stuffed Koala bear, and Harry was currently looking at it very apprehensively. Hermione touched the back of his hand and whispered softly, "Tonight we will be with Ron and Ginny." "And this time we will never leave them again," he added in a voice full of emotion. Their fingers grasped hold of that silly-looking toy and she suddenly felt the familiar pull at her navel.

She certainly hoped that one day she would be able to land gracefully, but today was not the day. She would swear that she landed so hard that she knocked herself senseless. All she could see was bright flashing lights, and the roar of too many voices. She noticed to her right that Harry was slowly trying to rise to his feet, holding out his hand to assist her up.

"_Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, when can we expect the formal announcement of your engagement?"_ A familiar voice could clearly be heard.

"**What?**" Harry yelled while abruptly letting go of Hermione's hand so she lost her balance falling back on her already sore arse.

"Oh, sorry Hermione," he said quietly before quickly turning his attention back to a very amused Rita Skeeter.

Skeeter gave Hermione a truly evil smile and added, _"Did your closest friends know of your plans before you left or is this a nice little surprise?"_

Harry seemed to be trying to think of a reply when_ a_nother reporter quickly shouted out, "Can you give us the full details of your blooming love story?"

Hermione couldn't believe what was happening. Could the entire Wizarding Community actually believe that she and Harry were in love and getting married? Why had Ron not warned them that this crazy rumor was going around? That prat was probably laughing his head off at how absurd the thought of a romance between her and Harry was.

A thought suddenly clicked in her head if the press knew they were arriving today, then the rest of the community must have known of their arrival. She quickly scanned the crowd looking for at least a glimpse of that famous Weasley red hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Harry trying to do the same thing, as the questions continued to be yelled at them.

"Miss Granger, I have noticed that you have gained some weight, could it be possible that you might be pregnant?"

Hermione's stomach was starting to spin uncontrollably as she noticed several familiar faces, but none belonging to the people they most needed to see.

"Alright, that's enough," a voice rang out forcibly from the back of the room. Neville Longbottom pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed both of them by their elbows he turns to address the crowd, "I'm sure that Harry and Hermione will make a formal statement as soon as they are able to settle in."

Neville pushed both of them through the crowd and out the back door. "Neville you are a true life saver!" Harry exclaimed. Then looking into Hermione's eyes, Harry said softly, "We need to Apparate to the Burrow as soon as possible and figure out what the hell is going on."

Neville shook his head, looking sadly into both Harry and Hermione's shocked faces. "Actually," he whispered, "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Won Won, wake up my sweetheart," Lavender's voice cooed from the other side of the bed. Ron swiped his hand behind him, hoping that it would somehow silence the annoying voice.

"Ronald Weasley, get out of bed right now, we need to talk!" Ginny's annoyed voice yelled from the kitchen. Oh _shit_, Ron thought, this is starting _off to be a wonderful day. Could it possible get any worse?_


	3. Chapter 3

Ron's terrible, awful, no good day

Maybe if he put the pillow over his head he would be able to drown out all the noise and get back to sleep.

"Why the hell haven't you got rid of this piece of trash yet?" Ginny demanded as she suddenly burst through his bedroom door. She walked across the room and reached down to pick up the clock currently cooing in Lavender's voice. "Because," Ron started grumpily," that clock was Fred's last invention, and as much as waking up to Lavender's voice annoys me, it also reminds of Fred. Anytime I start feeling too sentimental about that git, it reminds me that he went through my personal belongings while I was out risking my life." Ron paused to smile at the clock. "How else could he have known about _My Sweetheart_?" Ron knew he had only kept that damn necklace to remind himself never to foul up his love life that badly again. "You know," Ron continued, "I really thought the ghoul would have kept….."

"Ron, they're back," Ginny quietly interrupted.

Damn! It was Friday. He had been trying to prepare himself for today. Could it really be true that his best mate was marrying his girl? When the story first broke two months ago, Ron had refused to believe it. He had actually laughed when his mother had read Skeeter's article to him. He had clung to what Harry had told him in the Forest of Dean last winter. Harry would never lie to him. They were closer than mates; they were brothers.

Then there was Hermione. The night before she left, they had snuck down to the garden. He had held her as she cried about leaving him now that they were together. They had discussed what they hoped the future would hold for them. Hermione told him that she wanted to be with him forever. That night, they slept together on a blanket under the stars, and the next morning, Hermione told him that no matter what might happen, she would come back to him as soon as she could. Then they were gone, and Ron felt lost without them.

The first month had been full of her letters. She described everything that they were seeing in Australia. He was a bit jealous of Harry getting to share these knew experiences with her, but he knew that they would have plenty of firsts when she returned. Ron knew he wasn't the world's best writer, but he tried to make his letters seem interesting and always tried to show her how much he missed her.

Then Rita's stories started appearing in _The Daily Prophet_, each one becoming more and more detailed. Ron soon became the lone voice of denial in the family. He had to believe that Harry and Hermione would never hurt him or Ginny that deeply.

"Ron, dear, they are two young people in a beautiful foreign country. Things happen, but I'm sure they never meant to hurt you or Ginny," his mother had said before breaking down in tears.

At first, Ginny just sat outside for hours, staring at the ripples in the pond. Then when the pictures started appearing in _The Prophet_, she got mad. There were pictures of Hermione and Harry walking on the beach with their arms linked together and pictures of dinners in fancy restaurants. Ginny had yelled for a solid hour about "idiot heroes" while trying to break everything she could lay her hands on. Finally, when she wore herself complete out, she broke down and wept.

Ron had stared at the pictures for days. Harry and Hermione both looked so happy and relaxed; was that how they were together when he wasn't around? Maybe they really were better off without him. They probably hadn't bickered once.

Two weeks after the pictures were released, Rita reported that Harry and Hermione had reportedly become engaged shortly after joining her parents on holiday. That morning, the front yard of the Burrow was full of reporters. Everybody wanted the exclusive story, and who better to get the juicy details from than Potter's best mate.

To give his mother the peace and quiet she needed, Ron had decided that it was best if he moved in with George. He was working at the store full time, so it just made sense. Plus, George also had enough wards up that Ron could easily get away from the reporters. Of course that didn't stop them; no, they would pretend to be customers until they could get close enough to start shouting questions at him. George had hexed one reporter so badly he had to go to St. Mungos.

Ginny had brought the wireless with her and placed it on the table next to his bed, lightly tapping it with her wand. Ron could see that her hands were badly shaking as she waited to hear the latest report.

"Well, just seeing them together, it was blatantly obvious of their feelings for each other," Skeeter squealed happily. "I also noticed when Miss Granger's jumper lifted up a bit that she seemed to be gaining weight." Rita continued on obviously enjoying giving this exclusive. "Isn't it wonderful? Not only are Mr. Potter and Miss Granger getting married but we may be soon getting the announcement of a little baby Potter."

"A baby." Ginny whispered as her knees gave way and she sunk to the floor. She looked up and her wet brown eyes met Ron's. "Please Ron," she said softly, "please tell me that it's not true."

Getting slowly out of bed and grabbing his clothes, Ron headed toward the bathroom. "I can't Ginny," he said. "I just can't deal with this right now. I need to get down to the shop." As he closed the door, he could still hear the reporters talking about today's big story.

"…wasn't there a rumor that immediately after the Battle of Hogwarts Miss Granger was involved in a romantic relationship with Mr. Ronald Weasley?" another commentator asked Skeeter.

"Well, as most of you know, all the Weasley boys are tasty dishes. How could you blame the girl for wanting a nibble?" Rita giggled wildly. "But why have just dessert when you can have the whole meal? Potter is the complete package. He has looks, wealth, and enough power to give an ambious girl like Miss Granger the push she needs to climb the social and political ladder. Mr. Weasley, while very attractive, has nothing to offer a girl like her."

"Turn that bloody thing off!" Ron growled. Bloody hell. Now he could hear Ginny softly crying as he sat on the edge of the tub and put his head in his hands.

Merlin, had he just been called a "tasty treat"? Ron wasn't an idiot; he knew what Rita was trying to say. He was the kind of guy a girl wanted a quick shag with before moving on to the damn "meal".

He had been preparing himself for the possibility of their engagement for the last month. Ron knew that as much as he would feel a stab of betrayal seeing them together, he also knew that he couldn't lose two of the most important people in his life. He told himself as long as he could see Hermione's smile and know she was truly happy, he would have to learn to live with the constant ache of his broken heart.

But a baby was a kick in the gut he hadn't expected. Maybe he should just take off for awhile. He could go to Romania and spend some time with Charlie. He knew George would understand. But could he really leave his mother and Ginny when they need him most?

"Shite!" he yelled as he slammed his fist into the bathroom mirror. Somehow the jagged pieces of glass sticking out of his hand were enough to show him what needed to be done. He would take a shower and get to work. Then, when the time was right, he would have to face Harry and Hermione. They would have to look him in the eye and tell him the truth. If Hermione no longer loved him the way he loved her, she owed him the truth.

Ron quickly got himself ready to face the worst. He gave a hiccupping Ginny a quick kiss on the top of her head and headed downstairs to his job. When he hit the bottom landing, he could see the strange look in George's eyes as he looked toward the door.

"Good Morning, Mr. Weasley," Rita's voice cooed from the back of the store. "I have just been dying to talk to you."


End file.
